Filling the Void
by foundatsea
Summary: Jack helps Janet grieve and move on when Sam ends their relationship. Lots of friendship that may or may not evolve into more. slight FEMMSLASH. Jack/Janet; mentions of Sam/Janet
1. Chapter 1

"Colonel."

"Doc."

"Jack."

"Janet."

She sighed, holding a syringe full of an inoculation in her hand. After SG-7 contracted and brought back a highly infectious disease, the entire base was in need of a vaccine to counteract it. Colonel O'Neill was the last one that needed the shot.

"You _are_ getting this shot, Sir."

"You know how I feel about those needles of yours. _No_."

Neither one of them were exactly in the best of moods. Jack simply hated shots and that never ceased to put a frown on his face. He also was disappointed that no one wanted to accompany him on a week long fishing trip that was to take place during SG-1's downtime. Janet, on the other hand, had been going through a lot of inner turmoil. More than she would like to admit to anyone, even herself. The usually polite and sympathetic doctor who never let personal feelings affect her work was quickly losing her patience with her unreasonable patient.

Without a seconds hesitation, the petite doctor quickly stuck and emptied the syringe into the Colonel's upper arm. She withdrew the needle smugly and he rubbed the spot on his arm as it began to bleed a little.

Jack stuck his lip out in an over exaggerated pout. The banter he shared with the doc was nothing out of the ordinary. It was actually the thing he liked the most about coming to the Infirmary, if he was going to be honest with himself. That's why it surprised him when she jabbed the needle in his arm like that. _She must be having a really bad day_.

"Damn, Janet. You could of warned me!"

Janet tossed the empty syringe into the hazardous waste bin, pulled off her gloves, and made her way to her office without a word. Jack stared after her and his mouth dropped, something the nurse found to be seriously comical. She stuck a bandaid on his arm but he ripped it off and crumpled it into his pocket as he hopped off the examination table. He followed quickly behind Janet, managing to catch up to her pretty quickly because of their difference in leg length.

Janet flew into her office and slammed the door right in the Colonel's face. Jack took a step back, confusion written all over his face. Now he knew something must be _really_ wrong. He had never seen her like this before in all the time he had known her. He tried to open the door but she locked it.

"Janet." He knocked a few times.

"Go away, Colonel." She was apparently right against the door, her voice sounded close.

"Please let me in, Janet." He jiggled the handle. After a few moments of silence, he added, "I'm not leaving so you can either open the door and let me or in or tell me whats going on through the door so everyone in the Infirmary could hear."

He didn't actually want to embarrass her by having the whole nursing staff know her personal business, but the ruse did it's trick. She unlocked the door. He walked in a quickly shut the door, locking it again.

"I'm fine, Colonel. You didn't have to make a scene." She looked at him pointedly. "_Really_."

"You don't look fine. You aren't acting like you're fine. What's up?" He was prepared to have to force her to talk but she began talking on her own.

"You, uh, knew about.. about Sam and I?" She asked, and he nodded his head. They had told him two years ago when they had first started dating. Sam wanted to be sure that the Colonel was okay with the relationship. Janet was completely opposed to the whole idea of having someone at the SGC actually know. They could be court marshaled. That was too important to risk having someone they work with know, especially someone that had clearly shown and admitted to having feelings for Sam. It just didn't sit right with her.

They did obviously end up telling Jack. They had been at Sam's house. Sam and Jack were sitting on the couch and Janet had been pacing back and forth between the living room and the kitchen, nervously do things to try and take her mind off of the situation. He knew right away that something was up; He always does.

When Sam told him, Jack had been surprised, that's for sure, but he didn't oppose, which Janet found odd. She was pretty sure that if the person she was in love with informed her that they weren't attracted to her sex, it would be weird and hard to understand. He really was okay with it, though, which showed the depth of feeling he must of had for Sam.

Pushing the memory away, Janet brought the heels of her hands to her eyes and pushed _hard_. This was not a conversation she wanted to have at this moment. She was mentally and physically tired, she was hurting, and she wanted nothing more than to just go home for the night. _Or the year_, she thought.

Jack waited patiently for the doctor to explain; Clearly this had something to do with Sam. When Janet brought her hands away from her eyes, big tears tumbled down her face silently. Seeing a woman cry, especially a woman he cared deeply for cry, brought out the sensitive side in, one he rarely let others in on. He enveloped Janet in a hug, snaking an arm around her shoulders and the other up into the back of her hair. He remembered that this was how Sara liked to be hugged when she was hurting, so maybe Janet liked it, too.

She tried her hardest not to break down and sob into his embrace. She did accept the hug though, a hug from a close friend. "Sam broke it off." Her voice did crack at the end of the sentence but she kept her composure somehow. She felt his arms tighten around her and she was deeply appreciate of such comforting human contact.

Jack closed his eyes in response to her words. He really didn't know what to say. He thought they probably just had it out over something and would make up in an hour or two and everything would be fine. He couldn't imagine why Sam would of ended it with their Doctor. Last time he checked everything was fine. He had to remind himself, though, that the ladies didn't let him in on everything. _Or anything, really._

"Want to talk about it?" His voice sounds sympathetic, which almost makes her cry harder.

"There's nothing really to talk about. She didn't like the fact that I am attracted to men and women." She pulled out of the embrace and wiped the tears from her face. Jack looked at her. She shrugged and continued, "I told her I didn't understand why it was an issue, if I was with her than I was _only_ with her. She assumed I would go parading around, sleeping with men, but not women, since I had her."

Jack shook his head. "Well, I'm glad that makes a ton of sense." What surprised him most about that statement was that Janet was attracted to men as well. For some reason, he always assumed that if you seriously dated a woman, then you were only into women. He mentally noted that belief made about as much sense as why Sam broke it off with Janet.

Janet went into the small bathroom that was located off of her office and fixed her make up. Jack had always been jealous that she had her own room and bathroom attached to her office, but he guessed it made sense. If she was staying overnight on base, there was usually a good reason and she had the chance of being awakened at all hours of the night. That still didn't make him any less jealous.

He sat on one of the chairs across from her desk, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. "When did all this happen?" She came back in and the only evidence that she had been crying was her pink eyes, but that could attributed to exhaustion, easily.

She took the other seat next to him in front of her desk instead of the one behind it. "Yesterday. But I think she's already seeing someone, or at least talking to someone."

"You're kidding."

"I wish I was, Colonel. After she broke up with me, she mentioned something about how she hoped it wouldn't be hard for me to move on since I most likely already had some men lined up on the side." Jack opened his mouth to speak, but she held her hand up. "Let me finish." Jack leaned back in his chair. "She then proceeded to say moving on was easier to do when you've found someone else and that she didn't think it would be hard for either of us. I think she purposefully left her phone behind at my place once she left because when I found it, it was open to a text message to the other woman."

Jack could not believe how the Major had acted. He never would have dreamed that she would of been capable of something like that. He really thought he knew her after being her commanding officer for many years. It surprised the hell out him. Janet, he noticed, had her face resting flat against her desk. He couldn't help but think how utterly defeated she looked. Defeated and tired, something he wasn't used to in her.

She propped her head up with her hand and looked over at him sadly. "I've been thinking about taking the week off. I know it's SG-1's off week, as well, so I wouldn't even be avoiding her…" She trailed off. "Cassie is away at basketball camp since yesterday until next Sunday so this is really the only time I have to wallow in self pity without frightening my daughter."

"Why don't you come to Minnesota with me for the week." He had the idea suddenly and blurted out the invitation without even thinking, though he really couldn't think of anyone else he'd rather have accompany him, so he kept going. "Free room, free food, great view, and hopefully what you would consider good company."

Janet studied him and frowned. "You can't be serious, Jack. You don't want me to go with you, trust me. Take Daniel or Teal'c. Hell, take Sam. I bet they'd all be more fun than I will."

He rolled his eyes. "Come on, Janet. You know I enjoy your company." This at least caused the frown to dissipate from her face. "Come with me."

She smirked, which all things considering was a pretty damn good thing for him to see. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"I won't take no for an answer."

To be honest, she really couldn't think of anything she would want to do more. Being with him would take her mind off of Sam. He was easy to talk to, fun to drink with, and she could foresee herself having a really good time up in the mountains with him. She knew he lived next to lake and she had always been a huge fan of swimming. _Who knows_, she thought. _This could be just what I need._

She laughed and nodded. "Okay! Okay. I'll come; You've convinced me. But at the end of the week, you can't say I didn't warn you if you find bringing me along wasn't the best choice." They both laughed, enjoying each other's better moods. He stood and made his way to her door.

"I'll swing by your place tomorrow at 0630. It's kind of a long drive and if we leave early, we won't waste a whole day driving." Jack smiled and did a mocking salute and left.

"Thank you, Jack," she said to an empty room and genuinely smiled for the first time in days.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Jack smiled as he started up his truck for many reasons: he had a week off of work, he was going to his secluded cabin, and someone actually agreed to join him on the trip this time. He couldn't count how many times the members of his team had turned down his invitation for a woodsy getaway. If someone told him free beer, he would agree to anything in one second, flat. Apparently the rest of SG-1 felt a little differently.

He had been more than surprised with himself when he asked Janet to come with him. It's not that he didn't want her to come, it's just they had never really fraternized outside of work unless something with Cassie was involved. Once she went out to the bar with him and the team a couple days after she first started working with them all, but that was over three years ago. Not to mention the fact that he could actually count the number of times he had been in the Fraiser household on one hand. But he saw her at work _a lot_. A lot a lot. And she knew more about him, probably mentally, as well as physically, than almost everyone at the SGC. If that isn't just cause for a great friendship, then nothing is.

As he rounded the corner to the street the Fraisers lived on, he hoped she was up and ready. He had little to no knowledge about her alertness in the morning. If she was anything like Sam, than she had to be hit in the head with a heavy blunt object just to be woken up and then fully supplied with copious amounts of hot black coffee before a conversation was even possible. He didn't think of calling her to let her know he was on his way until now, but that didn't even matter because he was at the end of her driveway. It was definitely a surprise to see her at the end of the driveway with her bags in hand, all ready to go.

Janet opened the passenger door on his truck and leaned in. "In the back?" She motioned to the bags in her hands and he nodded, still pleasantly shocked to see her waiting for him and not the other way around. He watched in the rearview mirror as she heaved the bags, practically over her head because of her height, into the back of his pickup with ease.

"Damn," he said as she climbed into the car beside him.

"You know, you didn't even offer to help." Janet laughed at the confused look on his face and placed her gentle hand on top of his on the stick shift. "Relax, Jack. I'm only kidding. Ready to hit the road?"

Jack smiled awkwardly and nodded. "Hell yeah. You sure you have everything?"

She nodded as he steered his truck away from the curb. She was hoping that this vacation would help relieve her mind of the emotional upheaval it was currently going through because of her break up with Sam. He was counting on catching many big fish, drinking many big beers, and enjoying the company of the petite doctor he had come to admire and count as one of his close friends.

"Janet." Jack used his free hand to gently shake her shoulder in an attempt to wake her up. He was amazed at how she was able to curl her entire body up and fit in the space of the middle seat and the passenger seat comfortably. _Must be nice. And pretty damned convienent. _

"Janet. Jaaaanet. Janet!" She woke up when his voice rose and looked at him, bleary eyed and groggy. "Your phone has been goin' off for a minute or two.."

She sat up quickly and rummaged around in her purse for her cell phone. There were few people that knew her number: Cassie, the base, and Sam. She was hoping it wasn't the latter.

"Hello?" Jack watched her out of the corner of his eye, attempting to give her a little privacy. "Oh, Sam. No, uh, actually, I'm not home. What? No. No, I'll be away for the week. Yes, the _whole _week." Jack could hear the frustration growing in her voice at this point. "I don't think it is any of your business where I am going, thank you." She listened for several seconds and closed her eyes and sighed. "I _am_ with Jack."

Janet pulled the phone away from her face with a pained expression. "She hung up on me." Jack couldn't decide if her voice sounded more hurt or annoyed. She threw her cellphone into her purse with an exaggerated sigh. "She was the last person I wanted to speak to right now."

He played dumb. "Sam?"

She pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes. "Unfortunately."

Jack was unsure of how to continue. He sure didn't want to pry into her personal life, but he knew from experience that she probably wanted somebody to talk to about all of this, though he wasn't sure if he was exactly the right person. He worked with Sam every day on a personal basis. He didn't want any of his opinions about her to skew Janet's perception on the situation, if that made any sense. He thought of telling her this, but it didn't even make sense in his head. No way in hell it would make sense to her.

She beat him to the punch and said, "I don't want to burden you with details. It's an embarrassing situation, just trust me on this one." She laughed bitterly and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Her hair was still disheveled from her nap. "How much longer? Sorry I fell asleep on ya. I was up pretty late last night and didn't sleep well. Hopefully I wasn't snoring!"

He felt bad that he didn't tell her that he didn't mind listening to what she had to say, but the moment had already gone and passed. "Don't worry about it. I am used to doing this drive alone. And you were snoring so loud the car was shaking." He winked at her and she laughed, a nice sound to hear after a distressing phone call. "We have about two more hours left. You slept a good chunk of the time. Won't lie and say I'm not jealous."

"Well, how about this - Once we get to your place, you lie down, take a small nap, or a long nap, whatever you want, and I'll make us some lunch."

"That would be a spectacular plan," Jack laughed, "but there is no food in cabin. I haven't been there at all recently. Apophis can of had other plans than for me to spend a weekend at the lake."

"Then I'll buy groceries." She cut him off with the raising of her hand. "You are providing a weeks worth of lodging and company. The least I can do is stock your fridge. Deal?"

Jack looked sideways at her and had seen that look on her face before. There was no way he could fight her on this. "Okay. Deal. But I buy the booze. You'll probably buy the wrong stuff anyways."

Two hours later, were at the small grocery store in town. They had decided to just leave their things in the bed of the truck so they wouldn't have to many more than one stop after they had grocery shopped. Janet was highly impressed by how everyone in the store knew Jack.

"I thought you said you didn't come here often."

Jack smiled at her as he pushed the cart, grabbing a gallon of milk and a container of butter. "I said I haven't come here _recently_. I have had this cabin for over ten years. And if you hadn't noticed, we are in the middle of bum fuck nowhere. Everyone knows everyone. That's just the way it is."

She shrugged. "You're like a celebrity." Yet another town patron waved and greeted him. She thought it was adorable.

"Nah. I just used to sell a lot of my game in town to some people for really cheap. Used to go to the bar a lot too, especially after Sara and I were through. Everyone in this town goes to that damn bar, too. All 35 of them."

Janet threw some bread, lunch meat, and ground beef into the cart. "We should go there one night. I am pretty good at pool. I don't think you've ever seen me in action."

"Now that I wouldn't have guessed. Doc is a beast at the billiards, huh? I won't believe it until I see it."

"That's what I was known in basic for. Not my intelligence or mile time, which was pretty good, but for my ability to kick anyone's ass at pool. Even my drill sergeant."

Their cart finally full of a week's worth of goods, Jack steered the car towards the single checkout line. "And here I thought you'd be known for your towering height." She slapped his arm playfully and they both laughed.

"Jack! Haven't seen you in a long while! Put 'er there!" The cashier was a middle aged man with a broad smile and a staggering height; Janet had to tilt her head all the way back to look at his face. The two men shook hands heartily and she felt like an outsider.

"Marty. How ya been? It HAS been a while." Janet started to load the items onto the conveyer belt. It was nice to see that people also appreciated Jack outside of work. She never got to witness how people outside of the Air Force and the SGC felt about him. She was glad to know that even outside of work, people knew he was a good man.

"And who is this pretty little lady?" Marty smiled down at Janet and stuck out his hand. "Marty Solis."

She smiled and did the same. "Janet Fraiser."

"Looks like you finally landed yourself a good girl, Jackie boy!" Marty's deep and full laugh filled the small room caused the other people to look. Janet blushed and Jack smiled awkwardly.

"Nah, Marty, it's not like that. She's just a friend who came to see the cabin."

The large man winked. "Sure she is. Well it was nice to meet you, Janet. Stop by Saddleback Inn for a drink or two one night, on me!"

They paid for their things, loaded up the truck, and headed back to the cabin.

"Sorry about, uh, you know, what Marty said. He thinks he knows everything."

"It's really okay. I'm sure that is what we looked like. I mean, we were grocery shopping together. Not many friends do that. Hell, Sam wouldn't even do that with me." She looked out the window and then shrugged.

Jack focused on driving; the roads to the cabin were pretty winding. He thought about what Janet had said and realized it would not be such a bad thing, to go grocery shopping all the time with her. He had yet to recognize that he was admitting that he would like to be around her more off the base, and even on the base, too. And hell, let the townies think that Janet was his girlfriend. She was a beautiful woman with a killer sense of humor and an amazing daughter. He could definitely think of worse people to be associated with in a romantic sense.

Jack took Janet's advice and decided to lay down for some shut eye. He hadn't slept well either, for some reason, and the drive actually did take a lot out of him. He didn't even put the sheets on the bed in the master bedroom. He laid down with a throw blanket and his pillow and was out faster than he thought possible.

Janet stuck to her word and made some lunch - grilled cheese and bacon sandwiches with a small side salad. She was pretty sure Jack didn't eat well when he was alone; she envisioned multiple pizza boxes and take out containers sprawled over his living room and kitchen counters that probably are at least two weeks old. That's why she wasn't worried if he would like her cooking - anything is better than old, hard pizza or dried up Chinese food, right?

While he was sleeping, she took the chance to look around the house a bit. It was a nice cabin - all hardwood floors, multiple fireplaces, lots of windows, and great views. Retiring here would be ideal someday. She would have to mention to Jack that Cassie would really enjoy coming up here, as well. She was still young enough to want to hang out her and the members of SG1 but that time in her life would be ending very shortly. She was going to be in high school at the end of the summer, something that positively blew Janet's mind.

With lunch lying on the counter, she took a moment to step out on the deck and just relax. She had been trying her hardest not to think about Sam the entire way here but it was hard, especially with that phone call. She did still love her, but she had hurt her, bad. This wasn't the first time all the blame had been put on Janet, to be honest she was getting used to taking most of the blame for the past year now. She had accepted that that was just how their relationship dynamic worked and it seemed okay at the time. Now that she was out of the relationship, she realized how truly fucked up it was for Sam to do that to her. Sam also always made the majority of the decisions in practically all situations. Now that Janet was able to take a step back and look at their failed relationship, she could see how it truly was. But that still didn't stop the hurt or that fact that she still missed the other woman.

It was nice out today, mid 70s with a light summer breeze. She reached up and pulled the pony tail from her auburn hair, letting her hair down both literally and metaphorically. It felt great.

When she came back inside, Jack was seated at the island in the kitchen, eyeing the food she made with a smile. He turned around in his stool when he heard the sliding door close and was taken aback by how wonderful Janet looked. Her shoulder length hair was down and framing her face, her tanned skin looked warm and smooth, and she was smiling one of the most genuine smiles he had seen from her in a while.

"I was just coming to wake you up. Lunch is ready."

Jack watched her pull two plates from the cupboard and load them with sandwiches and salad.

"Thanks, Janet. This is great. You're the best."

They ate side by side, easy conversation flowing between them, and just a all around good feeling in their interactions. They were both very grateful for the opportunity to get away and relax, especially in the company of a good friend.

After lunch, they were lounging on the deck and drinking a few beers. Neither wanted to unpack their things yet. It was nice out, and it's not like there was any rush. They weren't far from the lake, it was down the the hill a ways. It was exceptionally blue and clear today with the midwest summer sun shining on it.

"You know," he sipped his beer, "you never did tell me what the phone call was about. Want to talk about it?"

Janet took a long swig of her beer. "Jack, you don't want to know."

He looked at her, confused. "Yes I do. I'm all ears."

She sighed, took an even longer gulp of beer, and sighed again. "Remind me at the end of this trip and I'll tell you. I promise."

Even though he was anxious to know, and this would be nagging at him the whole trip, he agreed.

"Thanks for inviting me Jack. Seriously." He tipped his beer to that and together they watched the wind create ripples on the crystal water. This is just what they both needed.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Movie time," Jack said as he opened a large cedar cabinet in the corner of the living room next to the stone fireplace. Janet was curled up on the couch, nursing a Guinness. When he opened the large storage cabinet, her eyes widened.

"Holy - Jack, you must have at least four or five hundred movies in that cabinet!"

He raised the beer in his hand in acknowledgement and took a long swig. She did the same and then moved from her perch on the couch and got down on her knees beside him to look at the movies on the lowest levels. He looked down at her and chuckled.

"How long did it take you to, to, to-" she paused, tying to find the word she was looking for. They had been drinking steadily since dinner, around 6:30. She looked down at her watch to remind herself what time it was. It was eight and she wasn't sure how many beers she had had.

"To what, Jan?" He was amused. She was clearly tipsy, if not more than a little drunk and he had never seen her like this before. It was definitely something he could get used to seeing.

She let out a healthy laugh and brought her hand up to her mouth. "Sorry, I got distracted. Can you believe its only eight o'clock? It feels so much later. Oh, and to build this collection is what I meant to say." She actually giggled.

"A year or two.. or fifteen." He was staring at the top her head and the way her hair shone red in the light. It was as red as fire and looked warm to touch. He reached his hand out, about to test his theory. Okay, maybe he was little drunk, too."Pick one out and I'll put it in."

She suddenly became very serious, as if so much depended on picking out this one movie. He found her focus endearing. Not long passed until she handed him a movie, struggled to her feet, and made her way back to the couch. He looked at what she had handed him. _She would want to watch The Shining. I guess I did let her pick the movie, though._ He stuck the movie in the DVD player. Janet patted the open spot on the couch next to her feet and he dutifully took the seat offered to him.

"Have you seen this?" He asked her, downing a little more of his beer. He had a beer cooler next to the couch, something he got early on after his divorce to prevent excess trips into the kitchen, a real concern and nuisance of his. Now he wouldn't even have to get up off the huge couch to get a drink. He finished off his current beer and pulled out one more for the each of them.

"I have. Are you trying to get me drunk, Colonel?" She asked playfully, grabbing the beverage out of his hand.

He put on his innocent face and said, "I don't have any idea what you are talking about."

"That's what they all say!" The laughed together and she straightened her legs over his lap without touching him, stretching languidly, then swinging her legs back over the couch so she would be sitting up straight with her legs dangling. He caught her legs mid swing at the ankle and pulled them onto his lap. "You don't mind?" He shook his head. She smiled, wiggled her bare toes, and turned her focus to the movie.

He liked seeing her like this - actually relaxed. It seemed like she had not thought about Sam all day, besides the phone call. He was glad to see that this trip was actually taking her mind off of things because he was worried about her after the incident on Thursday when she told him about the split. Janet also liked seeing him in a stress free environment. They were getting along splendidly.

From in her purse in the kitchen, her cellphone rang. She shared a worried look with Jack, hoping that it was not Sam again.

"Be right back. Pause, please?" He nodded and she bounded off the couch. Jack rubbed a hand over his face and sighed. _Give it a rest, Carter_. When Janet came back into the living room ten minutes later with a smile on her face, he let out a sigh of relief. "It was Cassie. She says camp is great and she wanted me to tell you that she says hi. She promised to talk to you next time she called but they are about to tell ghost stories around a campfire."

"Living the life." He snorted. "Good to know she's having a good time."

"It really is. A friend from school convinced her to go to this camp. I'm hoping she will make some more friends while she's there. She's still not as outgoing as I'd like her to be."

"She'll get there. Don't worry about her so much. She's a great kid." They both sipped their beers. Janet sat back down on the couch, definitely feeling the alcohol go to her head. She felt warm and tingly and it had nothing to do with the season. She straightened her legs again with her feet in his lap and they resumed the movie.

He looked down at her dainty feet resting in his lap. Propelled by some unknown force or want, he cupped his hand around toes, warming them with the heat from his fingers. She looked over at him and gave a crooked smile. "Thanks, my feet were getting pretty cold." She focused on the movie again.

He ran his hand down the length of her foot, surprised at how little her feet were. He wondered if he would be as surprised when he was sober. He pressed his thumb into the arch and she let out a low hiss. "Sore?"

"Mmhm. You try wearing heels to work sometime and let me know how that works out for ya." He pressed again, harder this time, moving his thumb in small circles, and a soft moan escaped her lips. Her eyes slipped shut, as well. That moan rattled something in Jack's gut that he hadn't felt in a long time. He didn't dare label it or acknowledge it, even though he knew full well that it was desire. And it was spreading, fast.

After completing the little massage, he picked up her other foot and began the same thing. "My god, does that feel good." He grunted a response that she took as a 'you're welcome'. She couldn't remember the last time anyone gave her a massage. Sam sure as hell never did. She was always either working, sleeping, or asking Janet to do things, such as massage her feet or rub her back. Janet could never say no to her. It felt good to be on the receiving side of things for a change.

A few minutes later, he set her other foot back into his lap and kept his hands on top of them. He looked over her and she was fast asleep. Her head was drooped to the side, her breathing deep and even. Deciding not to wake her, he stopped the movie and gently moved her legs. He stood and put on arm under her knees and the other around her back and grasping her abdomen and lifted her up. She sure was light. _And beautiful_, Jack thought. He shook his head. Where did that come from? Her head lolled onto her his shoulder, her face buried in his neck, her lips on the collar of his shirt. He was genuinely surprised she didn't wake up.

He carried her into the guest bedroom and stopped in the doorway when he realized her sheets where still in the washer. They had forgotten about them, probably around beer number five. Her blankets were in the washer, too. Without a moments hesitation, he carried her into his room. The entire bed was made. If need be, he could somehow pinpoint this on his intoxication in the morning. And it's not like the bed was smalll. Holding her with only one hand, he pulled down the covers on the side he didn't sleep on, and gently laid her in the bed. She opened her eyes briefly as he was setting her down, but closed them again quickly.

Jack felt the stirring in his loins again when she moaned as she snuggled into the pillow and unconsciously pulled her pink pajama pants that she adorned after dinner off and tossed them to the floor. _Janet Fraiser is in my bed in her panties. _He could not comprehend what was happening due to the alcohol, but he wasn't complaining. The thought of his doctor in her underwear in his bed elicited deeper feelings than he cared to admit. He pulled the sheet and comforter over her small body and then stripped off his tee shirt and pajamas pants, leaving him in his boxers. He hadn't realized how tired he was until he set her down on the bed. He yawned, turned off the light, and then laid in bed beside his newest companion. He pulled the blankets over himself and turned on his side to face her. Before he could be held accountable for his actions, he placed a kiss to her forehead that lingered longer than a friendly kiss. She stirred slightly and opened her chocolate brown eyes.

"Bed time?" She asked, her speech slurred and her voice groggy.

"Yes, Jan. Bed time." She smiled, turned on her side that wasn't face him, and scooted as close to him as humanly possible. Jack tried not to think about the way her nice ass pressed against his hips and his dick, but it was honestly too hard to focus on anything else.

"Hold me?" She asked, holding her arm up so he could slide his arm around her. Once he did, she sighed again. "Thank you."

He held her tightly. He couldn't remember the last time that he had shared a bed with somebody. He buried his face in her hair, inhaling her scent and pulling her even closer.

"Sweet dreams," She said, covering his hand over her chest with her own.

"Goodnight, Janet."

Janet groaned softly and put a hand to her forehead. She was definitely hungover, a headache pounded at her temples and behind her eyes. _But hey, it's not like I have to actually do anything today_.

She looked over at the clock - 9:03 - and her jaw dropped. She hadn't slept in this late in over six or seven years. She closed her eyes in an attempt to the stop the room from spinning and tried to remember why that wasn't her clock on the nightstand.

She ran her hands over the comforter on top of her. _This also isn't mine._ She was even more startled to feel a steady stream of breath on her back and a hand in her hair. In her groggy state of mind, still not full awake, she was extremely startled when she switched sides and saw Jack O'Neill sleeping peacefully next to her when she was expecting Sam Carter.

Jack was awakened by a soft whine and opened his eyes to find Janet staring directly at him, her brown eyes huge and confused. He jerked his head back, the proximity of her face startling. He untangled his hand from her hair and smiled.

"Good morning." He didn't really know what else to say, so he kept it simple.

Her mouth still hung open in a pretty comical o shape and her eyes were unblinking.

"Are you as hungover as me? Last night was pretty fun, though." He asked, stretching his arms over his head and then moving to lie on his back.

Still silent, Janet tried to make sense of the words he was saying. She _did _remember having a good time last night. Hell, she had a great night. It was probably the first time she wasn't holding herself back and just let everything go and had fun. She wanted to fully believe that that was the effect that Jack had on her, but she had to admit to herself that a large part of it was probably due to the large quantities of alcohol she consumed. She remembered watching a little bit of a movie, though she wasn't sure what they had put on. Something told her, though, that she had picked the movie.

She had to wonder, though, if he meant something else when he had said 'fun' than what she remembered. She was in the pajamas she had put on earlier that evening, which was a good sign. She also didn't feel the slight ache between her legs that you usually feel after having sex, so she hoped that option was ruled out of the equation.

When she still didn't answer, Jack reached out and pushed her chin up so her mouth closed. She blushed and smiled crookedly.

"Don't take offense to this question," She said, rubbing a hand across her forward and staring at the collar of his tee shirt, "but why the hell did I wake up beside you?"

He laughed. "No offense taken. You fell asleep on the couch last night. Instead of waking you up, I carried you to the guest room, but the bed was unmade and that was just way too much hassle, so I put you in here." He paused, and then added quickly, "I hope that's okay."

She blinked a couple of times and then let out a laugh full of relief. "Definitely okay. Was just an odd thing to wake up to. The end of last night is pretty hazy and I wanted to make sure I didn't embarrass myself by passing out in your bed or something."

He smiled sympathetically and climbed out of bed. "Hungry? I make it this time since you did yesterday. Stay in bed if you; just relax. Chef au chez O'Neill, at your service!" He kissed his fingers, smiled, and left the room.

Janet groaned and pulled the blankets up over her head. She decided she would take the time to appreciate the floor to ceiling windows in his bedroom another time because right now they were seriously antagonizing her headache.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"You know, I had never seen you drunk before. It was cute."

She looked at him over her shoulder and frowned. "It wasn't _cute_. It was embarrassing."

Jack shrugged noncommittally and watched her finish cleaning the dishes from his position at the island in the kitchen. Breakfast had been very fulfilling and by now both of them were relieved of their hangovers.

"Relax, doc. It's not like you threw up all over yourself or something. You weren't embarrassing. It was nice to see you let your hair down for a bit." He could see a small smile tug at the corners of her mouth.

"So," she said, wiping her hands on a dish towel, done cleaning the kitchen. "What do you want to this this afternoon?"

He looked outside - The weather was beautiful today. Not too hot, but sunny and very summery. "How opposed are you to a hike?"

She leaned on her forearms on the island, clasping her hands together. "You know, that'd be fun. We could pack some lunches. Make a day out of it."

He liked the way she thought. He nodded his head. "And I don't know about you, but I'm bringing my swim suit. There's a part of the lake four miles from here, but if that's too far.." He trailed off.

She raised her eyebrows. "Jack, we're in the military. Four miles ain't jack shit."

He laughed at her phrasing. "Knew you'd be up for anything. See! This is why I invited you in the first place. And that cute, drunk personality of yours is just an added bonus."

XXXXXXXXXXX

An hour later and a half later, they were on their way, hiking through the mountainous forest. Janet had packed a lunch of sandwiches, fruit, chips, and water for their excursion. Jack was the one that packed the beer. Janet said he could pack whatever the hell he wanted, as long as he was carrying it, so he did.

He lead the way, knowing the path by heart. When Charlie had died, and he knew Sara would come looking for him at the cabin, he would turn to the woods to hide. It was around a month after his death that he had found this specific place. He had been visiting ever since. He had never shown it to anybody, and he wasn't really sure what made him decide that showing it Janet was going to be okay. He didn't think about it too hard. He knew she would enjoy the spot, too. And he figured that if he sorted through a lot of his life problems at this place, maybe she would be able to, too.

They still hadn't talked about her situation with Sam. He didn't want to rush her, simply because he hated to be rushed. Feelings were hard to talk about, and he knew that. Even if she never discussed what was going on, that would be okay. As long as this little mini vacation helped her escape for a while. Sometimes all you need is to get away with a good friend. And to be honest, he was finding that he really enjoyed her company.

He kept looking behind him, just to make sure she was keeping up. His legs were considerably longer than hers, and he knew where he was going. Every time he looked over his shoulder, she smiled back. It was nice to see her enjoying herself.

They didn't hike in complete silence, but for the majority of the way, there was a companionable silence. They stuck to safe topics like Cassie and work sometimes, or they would point out some plants or animals to each other every once in a while.

They reached the spot pretty quickly. They were both in good shape, and he was surprised at how well she kept up with him. When they walked into the glen with the stream running through it that ran into the lake, he looked over at her face to see her reaction. She was smiling wide and looking all around her. He remembered that that was what he did, too, his first time here.

The grass was dark green and long with purple and yellow wildflowers scattered throughout. There were pine and birch trees, shading the majority of the meadow. The stream was clear and the water in the lake was crystalline blue. It was truly picture perfect.

"I… Wow." She walked forward and slipped off her pack, lying it against a large rock. She walked down to the shore of the lake and looked across. You could see Jack's cabin up on top of a small ridge, just a tiny spec in the distance. They had walked further than she had originally thought. "How did you find this place?"

He set his pack down next to hers and went to stand next to her. "It was just after Charlie had died. I came to the Cabin a lot, usually without telling anyone, and every time Sara would come looking for me. The first couple of times she had found me drinking too heavily in the room that used to be Charlie's when we would all come up here. She'd get so mad at me. I took to the woods where I knew she wouldn't come looking for me." He rubbed the back of his neck and readjusted the Air Force cap on his head. She could tell this was hard for him to talk about, even though it happened a while ago. You could never get over something like that.

He was silent for a minute, watching the waves wash up on the beach, and she was watching him. His face was set in the same stony expression she had seen many times on him, whenever things got shaky - When a member of his team was hurt, when a mission went terribly wrong, at military funerals. He also had that expression on his face when came back from Endora after a 100 days of being stranded.

He shrugged, trying to stop thinking about the situation. "One time I wandered too far and ended up here. Been coming back ever since." He looked at her and then back out at the water. She patted a hand on his back, and couldn't for the life of her think of anything comforting to say. She could not even imagine what it would be like to lose Cassie. She hoped the simple touch was enough, just so he knew she was there, she was listening, and she cared.

"It's a really nice place. Thank you for showing it to me." He knew she meant that she was thankful that he let her really know what this place meant to him. He watched her slip her tennis shoes and socks off and toss them by our bags. She walked into the lake, up just past her knees. "_Damn_, does this water feel nice." She looked over her shoulder at him, laughter and mirth lighting up her eyes. "You're not going to just stand there, are you?

He couldn't argue with that.

He took his shoes and socks off, along with the hat, and joined her. As soon as he got to the shore, she bent down and sent a huge splash of water his way, causing his shirt and cargo shorts to dampen. He looked her, his arms spread wide, a look of fake hurt on his face.

"Hey, now, you didn't even give me a chance!" He laughed, waded deeper, and sent an even larger splash right back at her, absolutely drenching her gray shirt and jean shorts. He continued laughing until he saw the look of pure determination on her face. He held his hands up in mock defense as she waded towards him, the water going up to her thighs. She swept her right leg just under his ankles, and down into the water he went, but not without grabbing her hand first.

They struggled underwater together for a couple seconds, then she popped up first, followed by him. Both were sucking in air and laughing hard. She wiped her fingers under her eyes, rubbing off the running make up and wrung out her ponytail of excess water, all the while glaring at him. He could still see the glint in her eyes though that told him she was kidding.

"Don't look at me. You started it!"

"Well, now that our clothes are totally soaked…" She smiled. "Im going to go change into my swim suit and lay these out to dry," she said, indicating her soaked clothing. "Wet jeans aren't exactly my thing." He agreed that he should do the same. They both got out of the lake and she dug through one of the packs and pulled out her suit and handed him his.

"I'm just going to change here. Face that way and don't turn around until I say so."

He smirked. "Oh, I won't. You better not peak, I have always said that doctors can't be trusted."

She rolled her eyes. "I _have_ seen you naked before, Jack. I don't need to peek."

With that, he turned around. _Well that's not even fair, I've never seen her naked_. The thought came to his mind before he could clamp it down. It made a slight blush rise to his cheeks, and he pulled his shirt, shorts, and boxers off quickly and pulled his swim trunks on. He could hear her still changing, so he laid the clothes out to dry in front of him. He knew he shouldn't, but his curiosity got the better of him, and he threw a glance over his shoulder at her.

She had her back to him. She was still lying out the clothes to dry and wasn't in her swimsuit yet. He let his eyes sweep up her shapely calves to her smooth thighs. His gaze lingered on the perfect curve of her ass and then up her back. He kept looking when we she turned slightly sideways to grab her suit off of the rock behind her. He quickly took in the flat plane of her abdomen, the large curve her breast, and the light brown color of her nipple.

He looked away before she could catch him looking. He felt badly that he peeked at her nakedness, especially when she told him not to, but he sure as hell wasn't disappointed with what he had seen. He felt a stiring in his lower stomach and he walked to the water and went in to his shoulders before his erection could be seen. He closed his eyes and swam around, trying desperately to think of something other than what he had just saw, and pleading with the water to help ease this little issue he was having. He was thankful that he had a way to hide this from her, though. How damned embarrassing that would be.

He felt the ripples she was creating in the water when she walked in and he turned around. He felt more blood go to his groin. Even in a simple black bikini, she looked phenomenal. _Where are these thoughts coming from?! _She smiled at him and swam out to where he was. _Down, down, down!_

"So I noticed earlier," she said, nodding to a cliff behind her head. "Is the water deep around that ledge?"

Jack thought about it. "Probably. Want me to check?" She nodded and he swam over quickly, the area wasn't far from where they were. He had always been a good swimmer. The water was significantly colder, and definitely deep. He gave her a thumbs up and she motioned for him to move a little as she ran out of the water and up to the top of the cliff.

"You're gonna jump?" He yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth for volume.

"Hell yeah, I'm gonna jump!"

He never would have taken Janet to be such a playful little daredevil. He gave her a thumbs up again. He couldn't see her too clearly, but he could tell that she was taking her bathing suit off. He looked up at her, confusion written all over his face. She was far enough away that he couldn't make out too many details, just see the shape of her body. He watched her run, completely naked, off of the top of the cliff and dive into the water.

She was under the water for a long time, and Jack was beginning to worry when he didn't seen her resurface. Focusing on the water where she jumped him, he didn't see her swim up to him on his left side underwater. She popped her head up and he turned quickly. She was smiling from ear to ear, and it was contagious.

"Damn, woman, you scared me. I thought you hit your head or something."

She ran a hand through her wet hair and he saw her black bathing suit in her other hand. She was still naked. She saw him staring at her suit, and cocked her head to the side.

"What, am I making the big bad Colonel uncomfortable?"

He looked at her face, trying his damned hardest not to look at her body. He knew he would be able to see her figure pretty clearly, just a little distorted, under the water.

"No," he replied quickly, probably too quickly. He was uncomfortable. "I'm just still wondering why the hell you just jumped naked off of a cliff. That's not something you see every day. Wait till I tell 'em at the SGC!"

"Oh, you wouldn't. If you do, I will use the biggest needle available and stick in right in your ass." She knew he had a true hate for anything that had to do with a syringe.

"Nah," he said, shaking his head and wincing, kicking his legs to stay above water. "I'll keep this side of you to myself."

He watched her swim further ashore, finding a place where she could touch the ground. His legs were getting tired, too. He followed her, still desperately trying to keep his eyes on hers.

"I don't normally go head diving off of cliffs naked, you know."

"Oh, well, shit, you could have fooled me!"

She rolled her eyes. "One time, it was two years ago, Sam and I took a trip to the Bahamas. Remember? You watched Cassie." He nodded, so she continued. "We had a nice private area of the beach next to where we were staying. I told her I wanted to go skinny dipping, and she just got so mad at me. She said that would embarrass her. So, I didn't do it, but oh, did I want to. She was always shutting down the spontaneous suggestions I made. Skinny dipping wasn't going to hurt anyone, it was night time, and no one was even outside, nor would anyone care!" She shook her head, then shrugged, dismissing the idea. He had no idea Sam had been so oppressive in their relationship.

"So, when the opportunity presented itself just now, I thought 'why the hell not'."

"Hey, I'm not complaining. It just surprised me. And don't worry, I couldn't see anything, I swear." He wasn't even lying.

She smirked, and bathing suit in hand, walked up the beach to where her clothes were, not even trying to hide her nakedness from him. She yelled over her shoulder, "Bet now you can!"

XXXXXXXXXX

She didn't know what possessed her to be so unabashed around Jack today on their hike. The whole walk home she had thought about if she had been inappropriate and figured she probably was. She began formulating a spiel of an apology that hopefully he would accept with good graces. She didn't feel like she embarrassed herself, it was only nudity, something neither of them weren't used to. He was almost fifty, for God sake's! But she had made him embarrassed, and that alone warranted an apology.

For Jack, the whole way home he couldn't get the image of her naked body out of his mind. He was pretty sure that it was burned into his memory, for good. She had been so unashamed and she definitely wasn't self conscious, he could tell that much. He wanted to believe that perhaps she had some motive behind her behavior this afternoon, though he couldn't imagine what it would be. All he knew was that he wanted her _badly_ and he knew the rest of this week was going to be much, much longer. He would not be able to get her out of his mind, no matter how hard he tried. The last time he felt this strongly about a woman, it had been his first year working with Sam, but that crush had quickly ended, especially once he found out she was interested in the CMO.

Both of them walked in silence back to the cabin, the whole four miles. She wanted to apologize and he wanted to forget.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"That was a lot of fun. We'll have to go back before we leave."

Janet looked at him. She was just about to apologize for her crude behavior down at the lake. The walk back made her realize that she had just been so comfortable in Jack's presence the past day and a half and she was just trying to work through her feelings for Sam. She had to keep so many parts of herself hidden in her just recently ended relationship. Her fun side definitely came out today and she hoped it hadn't jeopardized their friendship.

"Damn. If the guys at the SGC knew you ran naked off of cliffs…" He trailed off, smiling at her and going inside. He decided not to let his all to sudden feelings of desire for his doctor to interfere with the dynamics of the trip; He still wanted to have a good time in her company. He could push these suddenly strong feelings away for the time being.

She shrugged and made her way into the house, as well. She wasn't going to dwell on what she had done if Jack was joking around about it and grinning. He didn't seem like he needed an apology, but she still wanted to give on to him later in the evening.

They had spent the majority of the day at the lake and both pretty worn out from it. When she got inside, Jack was lying on his back on the couch, drinking a beer. He raised his hand in acknowledgment.

"You wore me out today." He said, finishing the beer and setting the empty bottle on the table.

She smirked. "Same here. My muscles are just plain tired. And I'm sunburned!" She pulled away the shoulder of her tee shirt to show a substantially pink burn line. He noticed her nose was pretty pink, as well.

"There's aloe in the bathroom cabinet if you need it later."

She nodded and barely stifled a yawn."I am going to go make my bed and lie down - You should do the same."

He nodded and said he would probably just stay out here on the couch because it was just too damned comfortable to move. She laughed and said he couldn't bitch to her if he got a kink in his playful, usual banter had returned and that put Janet even further at ease with what she had done. Regardless, what the hell had she been thinking?

Jack quickly fell into a deep sleep on the couch, snoring slightly. After Janet got out of her still somehow damp clothes, she did the same. The clean sheets felt refreshing on her burned skin and she slipped into sleep faster than she imagined she would.

Almost two hours later, Jack was the first to awaken, precisely for the reason she said he couldn't bitch about. He sat up, a little disoriented - He had been sleeping too hard and now he had a headache. He ran a hand through his short salt and pepper hair and made his way to the bathroom for some ibuprofen. He hated waking up with headaches. It was the absolute worst.

On the way to the bathroom at the end of the hall, he sneaked a peek into Janet's room to see if she was still asleep. He was surprised she left the door open, especially when he took in her state of undress. She was half under the covers, lying on her stomach with her right half atop the blanket. He winced at the stark burn lines the covered her body and felt the urge to run his hands over every single one of them, followed by his lips.

He shook his head and was about to close the bedroom door when she woke up and looked directly at him with a small smile on her lips. "What time is it?"

He thought she might have been feigning sleep. He couldn't help but stare as she kicked the rest of the blanket off and stretched languidly. She couldn't help but smile wickedly because she caught him staring.

"Uh-"

"Like what you see?" She asked, standing up in front of him, and he couldn't tell if she was joking or not. She laughed at the overwhelmed expression on his face and before she could even blink, his lips were on hers and his hands were on either side of her face, holding her firmly in place. She didn't offer up any resistance and kissed him back immediately. Neither of them could think about anything except for the kiss and when he pushed her backwards until her legs hit the bed, she was aware that he was still fully dressed.

"Wait," she said between kisses as she fell gently back onto the bed, "clothes." She tugged at his tee shirt as she fell and he pulled it over his head and tossed in behind him onto the floor. He was still standing and she let her eyes roam his chest and shoulders.

He looked down at her, so much desire in his eyes that it genuinely surprised her. She had not expected him to react like this, but she was in no way, shape, or form complaining. She had been longing for this moment for many years, the main reason that Sam had ended things with her. She had let it slip in casual conversation one night that she had imagined what it would be like to end up in bed with the Colonel, and of course Sam never let her forget it. She had tried to explain to Sam that just because she had thought about it did not mean she would ever act on it, but clearly that hadn't been a good enough answer for her lover at the time.

She watched intently as his hands worked the buttons on his shorts, and before she knew it, his shorts and boxers were pooled around his ankles on the floor. She let an involuntary gasp; Of course she had seen him naked below the waist before, but never like this. This was even better than what she had imagined. She inched back on the bed until she was completely on it and propped herself up on her elbows for a better view.

He didn't give her much time to admire his manhood and he was soon pressed on top of her. She dropped to her back and felt his chapped lips at her ear. "Please tell me to stop."

She was sure that he could feel her heart against his chest, that's how hard it was beating. He began to nibble on her ear lobe, then drew a line of featherlight kisses down her jaw. When he finally pressed their hips together, she moaned loudly, and cried, "Please, _don't_ stop."

He growled, and she was sure a similar sound erupted from her throat, as well. She could feel himself position the tip just at her opening and he looks up into her face. His brown eyes were darker than she had ever seen them and his nostrils were flared. She gave a slight nod and he pushed himself deep within her, and then -

She jumped awake in bed, sweat soaking the sheets. She looked up at the ceiling and closed her eyes again, realizing that all was just a dream. _A damned good dream, at that_. Her blanket and top sheet were tangled around her legs and her hair was definitely a hot mess. She fanned her face with her hand as got out of bed and shut the door quietly, going over to her bag to change in looser, less constricting clothing than earlier today.

Jack was awake on the couch when she made her appearance back into the living room. "Ah! Sleeping beauty awakens!"

She smiled sheepishly at him and ran a hand through her somewhat tamed hair. "I didn't mean to sleep so long."

He laughed and put down his book. "Yeah, you were out. I was going to wake you, but decided against it."

She stared at him, trying to read if he saw her in the state she was in when she awoke, just like at the beginning of her dream. He smiles innocently at her and decides that he probably didn't or he would have said something - That's just the way that Jack O'Neill was.

He turned to watch her in the kitchen over the top of the couch. "How's the sunburn?"

She hadn't been to aware of the sunburn, still pretty flustered over her dream, but she did feel hot and her shirt was feeling scratchy against her back. "Not too bad, except on my back. You know, I haven't been sunburned in years…"

"Come here."

She looked over at him and he was holding the aloe bottle; she hadn't even heard him leave. Damn Black Ops training.

When she sat down on the couch next to him, she thought about how she was going to get her shirt up over her back while keeping some modesty and not revealing anything. _He's seen you naked, stupid._ She let out a long breath and just shucked her shirt off all together and held it in her lap. So that aloe wouldn't get on it. Yeah.

_Well, that's one way to do it._ Jack squirted a green blob of aloe into his hand and spread it over her back, hoping his calloused hands didn't irritate the sunburn more than it already was. Her light sigh of relief informed him that his hands were probably fine.

He tried his damned hardest not to look at the curve of her breasts or the bumps of her spine or the way her hair was shining fire red in the light again. No, Sir ree. He didn't dare acknowledge how soft her skin was on her delicate back or how her breasts swayed slightly with each deep breath she took. _Focus on the task at hand, Jack._

He was having a difficult time at keep these newfound feelings caged. _Not newfound,_ he reminded himself_, just newly acknowledged. _He hated that they happened at such an inconvenient time, though. She had just broken up with Sam. He was not about to be a rebound thing, or a fling, or whatever. Not his style.

Janet looked at him over her shoulder, her brows furrowed in confusion. That's when he realized his hands were simply resting on her back, not rubbing the aloe in or do anything at all, really.

"You okay back there?" She asked, a smile forming on her lips.

He shook his head, trying to get rid of the thoughts once and for good. "Uh, yep. Done."

She thanked him as she pulled her shirt back on. Jack knew he should have told her to wait for the aloe to to dry but her fully clothed was probably in the best interest for them both.

XXXXXXXXXX

Some time later after they ate a dinner of chicken and rice, the retired to the deck that overlooked the lake. The sun was setting and Janet really couldn't remember having such a wonderful day in some time. She had nothing to worry about, nobody to fix, and no one to impress. That's probably one of the things she liked most about the Colonel - she never felt as if she had to impress him, or make him laugh, or anything like that. She always had to be a mother for Cassie and when she was with Sam, she had to be what Sam wanted her to be - a submissive, agreeing lover that always gave and never took. It was exhausting for her to keep up with all her roles.

"Penny for your thoughts?" He asked, keeping his eyes out on the sunset over the water.

"Only a penny? Come on, Colonel, I think my thoughts would at least be worth a nickel."

He laughed. "How's a dollar, then?"

She smiled and ran a hand through her hair. She knew he was waiting for her to explain about Sam, but she also knew he would never push the issue. Part of her really didn't want to tell him, because that meant she would have to tell him exactly why Sam had left her. She was perfectly fine without him knowing.

"Just trying to wrap my head around things. You know. Sam." She sighed, and he continued to gaze outward. "I just can't believe I stayed with her for so long."

He finally looked over at her to see her shaking her head, her hands in her hair. He reached over a dropped a hand on her shoulder, not too sure of what else to do. She looked up at him and he could tell she appreciated the gesture, as small as it was.

"Sometimes," he started, putting his feet up on the railing, "you need to be out of a situation before you realize just how wrong it was, you know?" She nodded, still with her hands in her hair.

The sat in silence for a while, and then he asked, "You know, Doc, there's gotta be more to it than her just leaving you because you like everyone."

She laughed at his bluntness. "Well, yeah. There's a little more to it.." She trailed off, looking over at him.

He nodded slowly, silently asking her to continue. He was intrigued.

She closed her eyes and figured now was a better time than any to tell him. "The issue was that I was interested in men, too, but one person in particular."

He raised his eyebrows. "I see. Do I, uh, know this lucky guy?"

She groaned and mumbled her answer so he couldn't hear her.

"What was that?"

"I said," she scrunched up her nose, "it was you."

He blinked once, then twice. She winced.

He had _definitely_ not been expecting that. He ran a hand over his mouth.

"What was that?" He said, half joking, half in disbelief.

She laughed too quickly out of nervousness. "I wasn't going to tell you but I figured.."

Now that he got over the shock, it was _definitely_ not a bad thing that she had feelings for him, considering how strong the feelings he was having for her were becoming. He just wasn't sure how to act this point. It was too soon for anything he had in mind, though now his imagination was running ramped and it made his chest tighten to think that she cared for him.

She mentally berated herself as she watched many different expressions cross his face. _Damn it, damn it, damn it! _

She stood up, attempting to make her way inside, too embarrassed and flustered to continue with the conversation, when she felt his hand on her forearm, pulling her onto the love seat he sat on. She plopped onto the wooden seat beside him ungracefully and he draped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close, only in a slightly-more-than-friendly manner. You know, subtle.

She let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding and they sat in silence for a few minutes.

"I'll give you twenty dollars for your thoughts right now. In cash. On the spot."

He laughed and she could feel it rumble through his chest. She let her head rest against his shoulder even though she was still tense.

"No need. I'll give em to you for free." He paused. "Just funny how things work out sometimes."

She looked up at him, hoping for him to elaborate, but he didn't. He did pull her closer, though, and laugh again.

Things were quiet for some time before he spoke again. By this time it was dark, and they were gazing up at the stars. "I'm glad you told me."

She took her head off his shoulder. "Really?" Her voice was quiet and small.

"Really."

For the rest of the night until they went inside and slept in their separate beds, Jack pointed out constellations to Janet. He was pretty sure she knew the constellations, that was definitely something Sam would have shown her, but he showed her anyway.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

He awoke early the next morning; the sun wasn't even near rising yet. He hadn't slept well, and for obvious reasons. He never expected the woman that he had somehow fallen for to admit to returning those very same feelings. It almost made him want to tell her just how he felt, it was only fair that she knew, but alas, the circumstances were not in his favor. He wasn't about to be a rebound thing, even if he did love her. At this point he didn't see any real merit in confessing his attraction if it wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Dating your doctor probably wasn't a good idea either.

When Janet found him, he was on his thirty fifth push up out on the porch. Physical things always managed to take his mind off of the matter at hand. She moved in front of him and he looked up. She was still in her sleep shirt and shorts. At least she had the mind to tame her messed up hair that looks unreasonably good in the early morning light.

"Morning." He wasn't big on talking while working out.

She made a sound in her throat that he took as a greeting and rested her forearms on the railing. He did fifteen more and then got up and mimicked her pose. They were both quiet for some time. She was watching the water and he was watching her, out of the corner of his eye, of course. He knew this game. He was to wait for her to let him know what was on her mind.

"Jack," she sighed, "yesterday shouldn't have happened. I know I put you in an awkward, difficult position. For that, I am sorry. I'm not sorry about how I feel, though."

He nodded and put a hand on her shoulder. She finally looked up at him. "You shouldn't have to be. I mean, who could blame you? I have been described before as this insatiable stud who woos all of the ladies."

She playfully punched him in the shoulder. "You're a good friend, Janet. Any man would be lucky to have you. Even a lonely old Air Force Officer." He smiled when he saw the corners of her mouth tug upward and a faint blush rise on her cheeks.

"I'm going to make some coffee." She ran a hand through her messy auburn hair and before she could think twice of it and before he could blink, she pressed her lips to his lightly. Even though the kiss only last three seconds at most, Jack thought it felt like eternity and every opposition he had of being with her was mundane and not very important, at all.

She pulled away, a small smile on her face, and left for the kitchen to make the coffee like she said she would. Jack shook his head and dropped down to do more push ups. Anything to get his mind off this, this crumbling resolve. He really was in love with his doctor. Damn.

She kissed him. She really did it. And it felt _wonderful._ Granted, next time she would really like it if he were to kiss her back.

Her hands shook a little as she prepared a pot of coffee, setting the filter and dumping in the grounds. His lips were unbelievably soft, not what she had expected at all, and she couldn't stop thinking about how much she would like to do that again.

She shook her head, trying to rid these inconvenient thoughts from her head, at least for a couple more days. Once they were back at Cheyenne mountain, she could see herself easily slipping back into her doctor persona and tucking away any inappropriate feeling she may have for the Colonel. She was sure her issues with Sam would require all of her attention after this vacation, so forgetting her feelings for Jack might be easy. Maybe.

She sat down at the kitchen island and listened to the coffee percolate into the pot. It was an oddly comforting sound. She could see Jack doing more push ups on the porch. The sun was finally up, illuminating the beautiful mountains and the smooth lake. The warm light filled the entire cabin, and despite her spur of the moment kiss, she was feeling monumentally better than she had the entire trip.

She left the island in pursuit of her bedroom so she could change into something a little more fitting then pajamas. She wasn't too sure if Jack had anything specific planned for today, but whatever they ended up doing, she definitely couldn't do it in her pjs.

Just as she was getting down on her knees to pull her luggage out from underneath the bed, her phone on the bedside table began to ring. She sighed, standing up and using the bed for balance, and grabbed her cell without even looking at the caller id. Big mistake.

"Hello?" Her voice was light and airy and happy. She had been expecting Cassie to be on the other end of the line.

"Janet." Her eyes widen uncomfortably at the angry tone. Sam.

"He-ey, Sam." She shook her head at how small and weak her voice sounded. Now Sam would know she was nervous, which was not what she needed at this point.

"Where are you?"

"I'm not home."

Sam scoffed. "Well, clearly."

Janet imagined Sam standing in her house, her bike parked in the driveway. She knew where the spare key was.

When she didn't respond, Sam said, "Where are you?" more firmly than the first time.

"I'm on vacation."

Sam was quiet this time. "Where?"

Janet sighed. Why was she so reluctant to tell her former lover where she was? It's not like they were in a relationship anymore. She didn't have to tell the woman where she was at all hours of the day. So what if she went to the Colonel's cabin with him, alone, for a little over a week? They were just friends. Friends who were adults. They were allowed to do things like this.

"I'm in Minnesota. With Jack."

She couldn't even hear Sam breathing on the other line anymore.

"Friends are allowed to take trips together, Sam."

When she finally did speak, Sam's voice was rock hard. "You know, you would do this."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me!" This was the first time in the conversation Janet was starting to feel angry, and the anger was building. Fast. "We haven't been broken up for than a couple days and you go on a damned trip alone with the one person you knew would piss me off. You couldn't have gone with Daniel, could you? No. You did this to piss me off and I know now more than ever that you are truly a selfish bitch, Janet Fraiser."

Janet blinked once, and then twice. She honestly couldn't even speak, she was so angry.

"Have fun fucking the Colonel. How does it feel to know that you are a last resort for him?"

After that, Sam hung up. Janet put the phone back on the bedside table and sat down on the edge of the bed. Thick tears were just about to spill over her lashes and her chest was feeling awfully heavy. She was doing so well. She hadn't thought of Sam in two days, and it was nice. She wasn't feeling guilty for something that wasn't even her decision. She wasn't feeling guilty for her feelings for Jack, either, but now, she definitely was. She knew that Sam was wrong. She didn't agree to this trip just because it would piss her off. She didn't even agree to coming out here alone with Jack because she had feelings for him. She accompanied him because he was her friend and she needed a friend right now.

She covered her face with her hands as tears rolled silently down her face. Sam's meanness was not all that surprising but it didn't stop the things she said from hurting more than she would ever like to admit. Her head jerked up out of her hands at the knock on the door and she felt the blood rise to her cheeks. She didn't want him to see her crying.

Without saying a word, he let himself in and sat down next to her on the edge of the bed. She held her breath, trying to regain her composure and prevent herself from crying more, but when he took her shaky hands in his, her breath hitched and she couldn't hold it in anymore. She had to let these feelings out.

Jack held her hands, wet from her tears, and clenched his jaw. He had been standing in the hallway the whole time during her conversation with Sam. When he heard Janet try and defend herself, he could only imagine the things Sam was saying on the other line and he wanted to punch something. _Hard_.

It was hard to keep himself from barging in and taking her phone and giving Sam a piece of his mind. He wanted to respect Janet's privacy though, so he controlled himself. Seeing her cry, though, we not something he could ignore.

After he heard her sob, he dropped her hands back into her lap and stood, pulling her up with him. Her arms immediately wrapped around his neck and his around her shoulders and middle back. She buried her face into the base of his neck, her tears soaking the collar of his tee shirt.

He swallowed hard, but didn't say anything. Her muffled sobs grew quieter until she was sniffling into his shoulder. He felt her arms relax a little from their previous stronghold and he let go.

"Sorry," she said, down casting her eyes and wrapping her arms around herself. She crawled into bed, got under the covers and laid on her side, facing away from him. She pulled the comforter up to her nose and let out a long sigh.

"Janet." She didn't respond or look at him, so he said it again.

"I think I'm going to lay down for a bit, if you don't mind." She was feeling guilty, upset, and angry all at the same time. It was difficult to handle. She just wanted to go to sleep, wake up, and forget about this whole morning. She was even feeling guilty about that kiss. She let out a long sigh again, willing him in her mind to just leave.

Jack stared at the back of her head, at least what he could see of it, and made up his mind. "Janet, scooch over."

"Jack, I just want to go to sleep."

"Janet. Please."

She reluctantly slid to the left a bit, just a little, and closed her eyes again. She felt the bed behind her sink down with his weight and the covers lifted up for just a minute, and then his hand was on her upper arm and his body was directly behind hers.

She knew he was just trying to help, to comfort her, but all he was doing at this point was making her feel worse. She felt like he was proving Sam right. Janet was sure she would feel guilty even being in the same room with him the rest of the day, let alone spooning in bed with him.

"I just realized I was actually feeling tired, too." He let out an exaggerated yawn. He could tell how tense she was even just by touching her arm."Just relax, okay? It's just a nap. Lift up your head for a second."

She did as he asked and felt his arm snake underneath her head and his lean body press against hers. He bent the arm under her head at the elbow and rested his hand on her chest just above her breasts and the other he draped lightly across her side.

"It's okay, Jan. Just go to sleep." She listened to him whisper soothing sounds into her ear and felt herself considerably relaxing in his arms. She tried her hardest not think about Sam but instead to just focus on him and how incredibly sweet he was being. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep.

When he felt her breathing slow and deepen, he smiled and closed his own eyes, burying his face into her cinnamon hair, breathing in her scent.

"I love you, Janet."

Within minutes, he was asleep, too.


End file.
